Retro Perspective

 

Genevieve Robinson’s interest in the 1960s and 1970s began when she found herself admiring images of UFO-shaped houses.

“They were made of fibreglass, had bulging windows and stood on tripod legs. I imagined building one in Middlemarch among the rocks where it would look very lunar,” she says.

Although she was born in the 70s, Genevieve only began to be drawn to the houses – as well as popular designs and artefacts from that era – about ten years ago. The eye-catching patterns resonated with her and, as someone who dreams in vivid Technicolor, she found that the trademark reds, oranges, mustard yellows and teals – or Air New Zealand greens as she calls them – of the decade were right up her street.

Genevieve lives in an original McRaeway A-frame house that was prefabricated as a kitset home in Timaru then constructed on a prime site next to Dunedin’s town belt in 1976. Its perfectly pitched roof and tiny balconies stand out against the city skyline, giving it the look of a picturesque Swiss chalet.

When Genevieve moved in a couple of years ago the house was in mint condition. The original owner had retained the mustard wall-to-wall carpet, the amber bottle-glass sliding doors, the boldly patterned wallpapers and the death-defying spiral staircase.

 

Hardly able to believe her luck, Genevieve set about filling the house with 60s and 70s bric-a-brac and furniture. She points out a pineapple-shaped ice cube holder, a red plastic lamp that pops up like a periscope and a pair of magnetic Barbie paper dolls on her fridge. They’re all quirky items that make her laugh, says Genevieve, which is what she looks for in decorations. She’s particularly fond of a blond oak side-board with glass sliding doors picked up for $7.

“There was a very similar one on the TV auction programme Going, Going, Gone and it went for about a hundred times that amount,” she says with a smile.

Genevieve buys most of her homewares and furniture at car-boot sales, secondhand shops or on Trade Me, while her mother Sandra (who co-owns Dunedin collectables shop Elizabeth Russell House) scouts the auctions.

There’s no doubt that Genevieve is mad about orange. Cheerful, amiable and outgoing – a bit like Genevieve herself – the colour feaures throughout the house. Kitchen kitsch, cushions, plastic table lamps, a Philips Discoverer TV set shaped like a spaceman’s helmet, even the bowl belonging to Nellie the cat, are all bright orange.

Also orange is Clementine, Genevieve’s aptly named 1971 Volkswagen Superbeetle. Clementine is one of three VWs – two retro, one modern – that share her life. The others are Scarlet, a four-year-old red Beetle, and Audrey, a sleek white 1972 Karmann Ghia named after Audrey Hepburn.

“It’s such a fantastic car, it had to be named after a film star,” says Genevieve. “I’ve always admired Audrey Hepburn and I just love Breakfast at Tiffany’s so Audrey seemed the perfect choice.”

Genevieve inherited her love of old Continental and British cars from her father. Her first set of wheels, when she got her driver’s licence at nineteen, was a blue and cream 1967 Hillman Super Minx.

About eighteen months ago Genevieve decided to turn her passion for the past into a business. After careful investigation she began importing Eriba Pucks – dinky little two-berth caravans designed to be towed by small cars such as VWs – from Europe and set up an online company called Retro Camping.

Each caravan is equipped with bedding and sometimes an awning and a Duraware or similar dinner set. Vintage boxed picnic sets and board games such as Tiddly Winks and Chinese Checkers are available as optional extras.

Genevieve also recently set up a second website called Retro Room, which offers advice to those seeking decorating advice or retro items for their business or home.

For all her love of the 60s and 70s, Genevieve’s retromania does not extend to the period’s pop culture or clothes. There are no kaftans, flares or platform clogs in her predominantly black wardrobe. She does admit, however, that she probably wouldn’t say no to a retro bag, belt or bangle – “if it was really cool”.